What Makes A Hike Along Dhok Tree Trail In Jaipur Alluring?

Even though Jaipur is a thriving & growing city there are still pockets that provide a breather by way of the natural landscape. And some of these blocks have a hiking potential which I’m able to experience every now & then. As mentioned in my previous post I have just resumed hiking in Jaipur after a brief hiatus. I decided to explore a short hiking trail near Jaipur which allows fast commute from the city.

At dawn, the roads are empty & devoid of any traffic. All you can see is just a few people at tea stalls.

A picture clicked while driving out of Jaipur

It took us a few minutes to drive out of town & we reached the base of the trail around 6 AM. This trail doesn’t have much of human activity. Leopards have been sighted in these forests & for this fact, we made sure there was sunlight before entering the forest.

Action in the sky!The start of the trail

The start of the hike wasn’t too great; the moment we entered the forest area there was a terrible stench of a dead animal. I’m not sure if this was prey or otherwise.

I have never been on this trail before and it turned out to be a splendid trail. The path traversed through a ridge lined with the Dhok trees which are also known as Anogeissus Pendula.

These are resident trees of Aravali hills, Rajasthan and can be found from Gujrat-Rajasthan in the south to Haryana and Delhi, in the north. I have already written a post on Dhok trees a few years ago when I started this blog.

The trail is incredibly beautiful and it is hard to believe that human settlement is only a few kilometers away! It offers a great morning workout as it is unhurried initially and the steep section surfaces later. Unlike many other trekking routes in Jaipur, this doesn’t have a nuisance of thorns, an essential feature of the local topography.

The valley on the left was alluring but gave this idea a rest because the bushes and trees were quite dense. Maybe some other day and some other season.

Thirty minutes after we started, it was time for the sun to wish us a good morning! Here is a picture of the sunrise along with the silhouette of the ramparts. Look deeply and spot the hikers!

With soft sun lighting the entire trail, it looked even more beautiful. It definitely is a great hiking trail for the autumn season. It was time to head back.

What I liked about this hiking place in Jaipur?

Walking through the stunning landscape amidst the resident tree of Aravali – Dhok.

The forest department has planted a large number of foreign tree variants in the hills around Jaipur and it is difficult to find indigenous trees. A forest full of Vilayati or Israeli Babool tree is bad for a hike because the trail is lined with spikes shed from the trees. At times the hikers end up with bruises on the skin due to the thorns on branches.

The Dhok or Anogeissus Pendula tree looks even more graceful during the winter season. I have hiked in another forest with many Dhok trees in the month of January and it looked beautiful. Come winters, would love to traverse on this trail, again.

Have you hiked in Jaipur? If yes, which is the best trekking route in your opinion?

We’re always looking for new hiking trails to try out, and this looks like a beautiful one. The Dhok tree really makes it a unique landscape. Really enjoyed reading this and I hope we can try the trail some day!

Lovely hiking that you have here. Me too, I love hiking and strolling to see more of the beauty of nature. Those photos of Anogeissus Pendula tree I’m not very familiar of that name but I have seen them already.

Hi Arv, I learn something new about Jaipur with each blog your write. This time it’s about hiking which is usually so difficult to find in close proximity to big cities. This hike looks really nice and not all crowded. Dhok trees really look dramatic.

Looks like a great hike. Beautiful pictures. I hope the indigenous variety of Dhok trees are not under any threat by the Israeli Babool.
From my part of the world, its Pine trees – Pinus khasiana is the indigenous Pine of Meghalaya 🙂

I wouldn’t say that it is under threat but now even the forest authorities have realized that many of their experiments of planting foreign species have’t gone well including Eucalyptus trees. Nature certainly knows what is best for the local climate and topography. Any tampering is bound to misfire.
I wasn’t aware of this pine species. I haven’t been to Meghalaya yet! someday, I hope!
Thanks for sharing your views, Neel! 🙂

Is it? well, Do you have a complete name? Would love to see the picture. Well, the hills in Sahyadris are bigger and I presume altiutude too will be higher than Aravalis. Thanks for sharing the info, Archana 🙂

I must say the picture of the blue sky background and the black foreground is captivating, capturing the beauty of the sun rising with all its glory and stunning radiance. It is picture perfect. The moment and developing an eye for that moment makes that fine difference between a great photographer from a good photographer. Always an excitement for going on such hiking trails, and locating these places and routes is where the art lies. You always do with a panache. Getting up quite early, not easy and sneaking through the fragment of darkness, we see a spark of light and seeing the empty streets outside that grip of those grueling sounds of vehicles and one can see a different personality of life of a street. You always bring that bout of freshness with your wonderful exploration and creative engagement with the lens.
😀

Thanks, Nihar for all that encouragement. I feel all that happens once you start noticing with little more detail. I don’t think that this post can transfer the experience and feeling that you undergo. I always felt that sunrise is a spiritual experience. It is beyond deities, God, and the temple. I don’t think you can ever get this feeling in popuar temple because of all the noise and people. I’m sure you get what I mean. Yes, getting up on a weekend is tough for many reasons but it is the lure of nature and sunrise which makes it happen. It is a different world when you experience the same street during the dawn. Thanks for making my day, Nihar. Appreciate it. A comment like this surely encourages you to do the tough work of getting up early during the weekend! 🙂

Yes, I agree words can never capture the nuanced experiences and there are those little things, and there are those special moments only can be cherished by being there…
Well said; sunrise is indeed a spiritual experience and it is the ultimate source of energy that makes life thrive in this beautiful planet, and there is magic when we see the sun rise and that moment is truly momentous.
You have been doing a great job of being there with nature, in the street and exploring the places and observing the people, and bringing those thoughts creatively through your lovely words and imagery…
😀

The views from the top are breath-taking. I live in a cloistered metropolis and hiking trails surrounding it are as rare as dodos. Your love for nature is shining through words and each photo. 🙂 Lovely post.

What a beautiful trail! I am sure this would have been so great. I love the trees and that sunrise. Thank you for linking. I am always impressed how you bring Jaipur to your readers through your words and pictures.

Parul, it is a great trail. I’m not sure if it is going to this great in other seasons too given the fact that landscape changes drastically. There is something new to discover and share in this city. Thanks for the inspiring words. Happy to link it up with your project. 🙂

What a beautiful landscape! You are blessed to have something so wonderful close to home. Here we have all kinds of trees from evergreen pines to deciduous alder, birch and maple. We, also, have an evergreen tree that turns yellow in the fall that everyone goes crazy over, the Western Larch. Everyone goes out hiking to find them!

Love sunrise hikes! So peaceful and sheer bliss! 🙂 Even though this isnt lush green, there is a certain solitude that nature provides:) I hadnt heard of this one, so thank you for taking me on this virtual hike 🙂

Sunrise hikes are the best thing to gift yourself, Divsi. Yes, it isn’t lush green but still it is beautiful. It was intermediate season therefore there’s a changeover phase. Well, you can call it a secret hike. I’m glad it is this way (let me admit, I’m being selfish here)

Yes Arv, there are a few similar options near my locality but with the name of development these day the greenery is gradually diminishing and the view from the hill top has changed from lovely green landscape to a concrete jungle. 😦 The sad plight does not encourage for frequent hiking any more.